Middletown, CT - Williams College (16-8) faced No. 15 Wesleyan University (24-4) in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Ephs won in straight sets over the Cardinals, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2014.

Wesleyan got off to a fast start in the third set as they raced out to an early 8-3 advantage. The Ephs fought back, however, and tied the set at 11-11 after a well-timed solo block from senior Anna Tosolini. A service ace by junior Marit Hoyem gave Williams their first lead of the set at 16-15, but then the Cardinals won five of the next seven points to force a timeout from the Ephs, down 20-18. With the set tied at 23-23 after a Williams service error, Marit Hoyem came in clutch with a powerful kill, immediately followed by another service ace, securing the third set 25-23 for the Ephs. 

The first set was back and forth until the very end, and neither team was able to establish a rhythm in the early going, as there were three lead changes and five ties in just the first ten points. Wesleyan soon gained the momentum, however, and reeled off six out of seven points to establish an 11-6 advantage. That lead would not last long though, and Williams retook the momentum and the lead after a strong kill from junior Celia Adams gave the Ephs a 15-14 lead, pressuring the Cardinals into taking a timeout. With the set tied at 21-21, however, it was the Ephs who came up big down the stretch, as they won the last four points to claim the first set 25-21. 



The second set started out well for the Cardinals as they established an 8-4 lead, forcing the Ephs to take an early timeout. Although Williams narrowed the deficit to one point at 9-8, Wesleyan pulled away again with a 4-0 run, capped off by a solo block from sophomore Bianca Gonya. The Ephs turned things around, however, and proceeded on a 9-2 run to take the lead, and Wesleyan had little choice but to take a timeout, having fallen behind 18-16. Although the Cardinals tied the set back up at 18-18, they would not be able to retake the lead, as senior Christina Conforti contributed three kills down the stretch and junior Marit Hoyem clinched the second set 25-22 for the Ephs with a smart kill. 

Wesleyan leaders were: first year Sophia Lindus with 11 kills, sophomore Maya Lopansri with 14 assists, and senior Grace Bell with 10 digs. Williams leaders were: Christina Conforti with 12 kills, junior Lauren Kauppila with 20 assists, and sophomore Sidra Wohlwend with 13 digs. 

Commenting after the big win, Eph head coach Christi Kelsey said, "Words cannot express how proud I am of this group! They put together another pretty incredible performance from start to finish. From a skill perspective, we executed at a very consistently high level. And from just an emotional perspective, they showed so much competitive spirit and strength in pulling out this win together! We are looking forward to playing again tomorrow!"

The Ephs will next take on No. 8 New York University on Saturday, November 12th at 5:00 PM EST, with the match taking place at Wesleyan University.